Pt. 2: Really, Seriously?!
For Part 1 I used Luke’s record. For this one I’m going to give both Matt and Mark’s account; they complement each other quite well.
Matt 12:9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
11 He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Mark 3:1 Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
4 Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
I’m going straight after the Pharisees on this one. To get the full picture here you have to plug both Matt and Mark’s story into each other. I’ll show you.
1. Jesus goes into the Synagogue ~ Matt 12:9 & Mark 3:1
2. Man with the wrecked hand is in the crowd ~ Matt 12:10 & Mark 3:1
3. They, the Pharisees, are trying to pin something on Jesus, to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. ~ Matt 12:11
4. Jesus pulls the dude with the wrecked hand up to the front and center. ~ Mark 3:3b
5. Jesus asked what is and is not legal to do on the Sabbath. ~ Matt 12:10b -12 & Mark 3:4
6. Jesus gets ticked off (my fave part)!! ~ Mark 3:5
7. Dude stretches his hand ~ Matt 12:13 & Mark 3:5b
8. Pharisees break #6 on the Big Ten Command list ~ Matt 12:14 & Mark 3:6
This story shows just how crazy the Pharisees and the law keepers had become. They literally became blinded by their own legalism and self righteousness. In this story they were waiting to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath. If they were waiting to see if Jesus would heal then that meant they recognized that Jesus could heal. Did you catch that? They were admitting that Jesus had the power to heal, yet they were so blinded by their own legalism that they can’t really see what was happening right before them! There is nothing in the Old Testament that states it was wrong to heal on the Sabbath. The “no healing on the Sab” rule was added later because the Rabbis considered healing to be work. The Rabbis adding to the word of God is nothing new; Adam did it at the beginning of Time. God told Adam not to eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good/Evil but Adam told Eve not to even touch the tree*. But Jesus, who was the Word made flesh, brought the Pharisees right back to what the Word of God really says, not what men’s additions say. What Sabbath law Jesus is referring to is found in Exodus 23:4-5 and Deut 22:4**. He is reminding the law keeper what God said was lawful to do on the Sabbath. Here’s the deal: the Pharisees where so caught up in the law that they forgot to open their eyes to God’s promise of the Messiah. They could not recognize the Messiah right in front of them even though they admitted that Jesus had the power to heal. It seems everyone was misreading Jesus. Even Johnny Bapt sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was the Messiah or should they look for another. Jesus answered Johnny’s boys with an account of His actions, the same actions that the Pharisees were witnessing first hand. Here’s how Jesus answered the Baptist’s disciples:
Matt 11:4 “Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.’"
All that Jesus points to is what was promised that the Messiah would do. Isaiah 22:18-21 & 35:5-6 prophesies that the Messiah would do the very actions that Jesus was fulfilling. The Pharisees where witnessing the healings first hand. Seriously, they just watched a man’s wrecked hand stretch out before them. The Pharisees were mad because Jesus was being the promised Messiah on the Sabbath. He wasn’t fitting into their time schedule. How blind do you have to be to get upset with God for being God & His timing?! Hmmm. Have I ever been upset with God’s timing? Boy, that question just hit me like a hard right; how ‘bout you? Yep, suddenly I can’t really judge the Pharisees anymore. The only thing I can do is just repent and let Jesus be my Messiah--no matter what time it is.
Stay blessed y’all, it’s your choice!
jimmy
* Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
Gen 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
** Exodus 23: 4 "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.
Deut 22: 4 If you see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him get it to its feet.
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